Level with me - cruising on Spring Break

[Mariketa]

My husband and I (35 and 33) are thinking of taking a 5 day cruise out of New Orleans during Spring Break. We have never been on Carnival and are a bit concerned that it's going to be a lot of drunk college kids all the time. I know, I'm judging based only on things I've heard, but I know that I've actually never taken the time to look in to it either. So, please, don't bash me for the question, lol.

 

We normally cruise Royal Caribbean and have been on one Holland America (just to give you a point of reference as to what we normally see on the cruises). Fun, but laid back if you want it to be, etc.

 

Can someone tell me what it's like on Carnival during spring break? Are there places to find quiet, smaller bars, etc.? What is the atmosphere like?

[KPGirl]

you have to remember that spring break is at different times all over the US and Canada.

[pops72106]

We are going on our 4th straight spring break cruise this year and we have never had a problem with drunks

[Carolin]

It's not the college kids you will need to worry about. Cruises during this time period that are short attract families. The number of kids on board go UP.

 

To book during spring break, the college spring breaker must be 21. And if there are any in the cabin under 21 then there must be someone 25 years old in the cabin with them. Carnival has learned how to discourage the under 21 party crowd.

[iron9er]

I've been on 3 'spring break' cruises (only 1 with Carnival). My wife is a teacher, so this time of year makes sense for us to go. I've never really noticed an issue on any of the ships, mostly because everyone's spring break is a different week. We've noticed more teachers on the ships than drunk college students, but that's just our experience.

[RSW]

We have cruised during Spring Break 3 times and have had no issues. We had more issues during the summer months then we have during Spring Break.

[Surfwench]

My husband and I (35 and 33) are thinking of taking a 5 day cruise out of New Orleans during Spring Break. We have never been on Carnival and are a bit concerned that it's going to be a lot of drunk college kids all the time. I know, I'm judging based only on things I've heard, but I know that I've actually never taken the time to look in to it either. So, please, don't bash me for the question, lol.

 

We normally cruise Royal Caribbean and have been on one Holland America (just to give you a point of reference as to what we normally see on the cruises). Fun, but laid back if you want it to be, etc.

 

Can someone tell me what it's like on Carnival during spring break? Are there places to find quiet, smaller bars, etc.? What is the atmosphere like?

 

4 day Bahamas cruise, Spring Break, guy threw up on my shoes. Never again. :eek:

[hfitzger]

We cruised out of New Orleans last year during spring break (Easter week) on a 7-day on the Conquest. Did not notice any issues with partying-- just the usual Carnival "fun ship" vibe.

 

I believe the college spring breaks are usually earlier-- more like beginning of March and K-12 spring breaks are all over the place from March through April. You will likely have a lot of kids, but Camp Carnival does a good job of keeping the majority them occupied and out of the way so you don't realize how many are on board!

[T0M Cruzer]

I think it's a great question and exactly what these boards are for. We are loyal to Royal (and Celebrity), but do the three day to Ensenada on Carnival a couple of times a year. That three day trip is considered a 20-something party trip and lots of people said we'd hate it because it's much like going on spring break...which we've actually done it during spring break.

 

Did I hate it? I have to say I've never taken a cruise I didn't like. Some I've liked more than others, but spring break and the "party" ship have never been a problem. On one cruise there was a large contingent of 20-somethings and they were definitely having fun, but that's what cruising is all about.

 

I think it comes down to how tolerant or intolerant you are. If you are out on deck late at night with a band playing and there are lots of younger people dancing and drinking, will that bother you? During the day if there's a large group around the pool drinking and laughing, will that bother you? If it will, then it might be irritating. I think it's fun to watch, but I'm older than you.

[t1adams]

College spring breaks usually fall before regular school spring breaks. Colleges tend to hit their breaks in March. Schools, usually April. However up north might be different (but it seems you get more southerners sailing spring break). We ONLY sail during spring break. It's not just because of my kids' school breaks, but it's also due to the weather. We enjoy milder, warm weather where it's to the point the Carribean water is "swimable" but the air isn't yet sultry hot. It can get really humid in the Carribean if you wait past May to cruise. Not only that, but it quickly becomes hurricane season. Any earlier than April, if you have any ports around the Bahamas, the water can still feel very cold. As far as "too many kids" go, we've never noticed it. Everyone is pretty laid back. Never noticed any drunks. Believe me, I have a thing about adults and disgusting behavior, so I would notice.

 

I would have to say the only time I've seen behavior I felt uneasy about was a night or two, kids sitting on the glass elevator just riding it up and down. Even then it didn't put a damper on my experience. They were polite, just excited and making new friends. They'd actually sit on it. :cool: Again, didn't like that. Oh, and I once saw a guy changing his baby's diaper in the buffet restaurant area. Again, that was something I didn't like AT ALL. There were plenty of restrooms to take the baby to and handle that kind of thing. :cool: Oh, and there were TONS of chair hogs! But thank the Lord they've made modifications to that and I'm reading good things now.

 

ETA: ONE SUGGESTION.....If you choose to go during Spring Break week, go for at least six to seven days. We've only done long cruises. BUT, I've heard the short ones can draw a different crowd. :cool:

 

Other than that, I can't say there's been anything that annoyed me about spring break cruising. I've been on four spring break cruises too. And before that, I went on one cruise in May (before kids).

[tef43]

 

Can someone tell me what it's like on Carnival during spring break? Are there places to find quiet, smaller bars, etc.? What is the atmosphere like?

Not so much the college crowd, but families with out-of-control spawn-of-satan ankle biters. :mad:

 

Be afraid, be *VERY* afraid.

[daisy7113]

We cruised during spring break March of 2007. Royal Caribbean on a 8 day cruise. We didn't have any issues and it was quite lovely. I had the same fear but was told what attracts some spring breakers are shorter day cruises that might not cost as much. We usually try and pick times of the year where it is not spring break, lots of kids, etc. I do know people who have gone and had terrible experiences.

[RuthlessBoss]

I think it's a great question and exactly what these boards are for. We are loyal to Royal (and Celebrity), but do the three day to Ensenada on Carnival a couple of times a year. That three day trip is considered a 20-something party trip and lots of people said we'd hate it because it's much like going on spring break...which we've actually done it during spring break.

 

Did I hate it? I have to say I've never taken a cruise I didn't like. Some I've liked more than others, but spring break and the "party" ship have never been a problem. On one cruise there was a large contingent of 20-somethings and they were definitely having fun, but that's what cruising is all about.

 

I think it comes down to how tolerant or intolerant you are. If you are out on deck late at night with a band playing and there are lots of younger people dancing and drinking, will that bother you? During the day if there's a large group around the pool drinking and laughing, will that bother you? If it will, then it might be irritating. I think it's fun to watch, but I'm older than you.

This summed up my experience on Dream, it was a 7 nighter. It was loaded with young people who monopolized all venues, but not in a drunk way. They also spent a lot of time AT the pools, but not actually swimming. On elegant night, they put us older people to shame. I had a balcony, so had a retreat to go to. As for younger kids, most were busy at Camp, so not much of a problem.

I must admit I would not choose to go again during spring break, I feel we lost out a little because we became observers when on board, we were kind of the "outsiders". Of course, we are quite a bit older:eek:

[Bashlin]

It's much cheaper for college crowd to rent a house at the beach and lay drunk all week.. No issues with this any longer.. A few more kids then usual, but that's mostly on the shorter cruises.. Go and have fun before hurricane season starts ;-)

 

Sent from my Galaxy 3S

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

We have cruised during school break (winter break and summer break, not spring break, but still a time when lots of kids - college and younger - are out of school). While the average number of people on the ship goes up (not as many couples, more families), I have not found it to be a problem. My kids love Camp Carnival, and if they are not at CC, they are with us. I can't say that for all kids, but on the two cruises we've taken kids on, we have not had any problems.

 

I really think the length of the cruise has a lot to do with it, and with a 5 night cruise, you are a little past the hump of the shorter, more affordable cruises for college students. If I were you I would check the spring break schedule for the schools around New Orleans, because cruises like this attract people from around the area. When we sailed the Elation it was mostly passengers from the New Orleans area or surrounding areas.

 

HTH

[Shaded Lady]

Our first cruise was during Spring Break for some regions of the country- all I can say is NEVER AGAIN!

 

It wasn't college-age teenagers- there were whole groups of drunken high-schoolers. The Lido deck was useless for 3 days, they were rude when they weren't drunk... we had a topless 16 YO girl dancing on the Lido deck for 20 mins before anyone from Carnival did anything about it.

 

I've been on numerous cruises since then, under normal circumstances I'm highly tolerant of kids of all ages (including my husband ;) ) and high-spiritedness and expressing their joy in life is not a problem for me. But that first cruise almost was my last! I'm so glad we decided to try again at a different time of year! The kids were completely out of control and we couldn't figure out where the parents to all these drunken high-schoolers were.

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

Our first cruise was during Spring Break for some regions of the country- all I can say is NEVER AGAIN!

 

 

Was this cruise back in the 80's or 90's?

[golfadj]

Not for us.

[Shaded Lady]

was this cruise back in the 80's or 90's?

 

1988

[jhale]

My husband and I (35 and 33) are thinking of taking a 5 day cruise out of New Orleans during Spring Break. We have never been on Carnival and are a bit concerned that it's going to be a lot of drunk college kids all the time. I know, I'm judging based only on things I've heard, but I know that I've actually never taken the time to look in to it either. So, please, don't bash me for the question, lol.

 

We normally cruise Royal Caribbean and have been on one Holland America (just to give you a point of reference as to what we normally see on the cruises). Fun, but laid back if you want it to be, etc.

 

Can someone tell me what it's like on Carnival during spring break? Are there places to find quiet, smaller bars, etc.? What is the atmosphere like?

 

If you don't care to be around other people's kids, I would avoid it. We were on the Magic last April, a lot of the Northern states schools were out and there were a lot of kids, which most were hardly noticeable, it was the unsupervised, no mannered little "angels" that were the problem. Mainly in food lines and hot tubs.

 

As far as college aged people, or a lot of big drinkers, there didn't seem to be any more than usual. You'd see that handful here and there nightly, but they weren't overrunning the ship.

[singsong]

I've cruised the past three Easter breaks and I'm booked for this year too! I'm not afraid. I did the first year on Carnival, the past two years with Royal, and I'm back on Carnival again this year.

There WILL be a lot of kids. Perhaps as much as half the ship. On the Carnival Freedom, we sailed with 1500 persons under 21 that year, and on the Enchantment of the Seas the past few years we had around 1000 kids onboard.

Was it out of control? I don't think so, but my tolerance level may be higher than some. Was it busy with kids invading nearly every space? Yep. The number of drunks was normal. But the pool decks will teem with children.

Luckily Carnival has the serenity area on most ships now, and the bars and lounges will be largely child free at night unless they are doing a family event in there.

[pietrowolf]

Two Spring break cruises and no different than the summer time! Going again this March! Enjoy your trip! You will have a blast!

[MissMeggieMurphy]

i'm not quite sure what people want from a cruise that another large group of people will affect, whether the large group be kids, teens, young adults, a party crowd, or the entire population of geriatrics from the embarkation port. the cruise can only hold a set number of people and its the luck of the draw what the personalities of these people are. i've been on cruises where it seemed everyone was a morning person, the exercise rooms were packed to the gills tables on the lido were full by eight. some cruises its all about those who want entertainment or can't get enough of the casino, or the 24/7 shoppers that make it impossible to check out anything in the shops. i've been on cruises where the bars are full by 7 and stay full until the wee hours, i've been on cruises where everything is shut down tight by 10. i've seen the pool area packed or almost empty on a sunny sea day.

 

for me, i just go with the flow. i vacation when i can and the people i travel with can. if its a holiday week, so be it. i refuse to let the maybes control my world.

[t1adams]

i'm not quite sure what people want from a cruise that another large group of people will affect, whether the large group be kids, teens, young adults, a party crowd, or the entire population of geriatrics from the embarkation port. the cruise can only hold a set number of people and its the luck of the draw what the personalities of these people are. i've been on cruises where it seemed everyone was a morning person, the exercise rooms were packed to the gills tables on the lido were full by eight. some cruises its all about those who want entertainment or can't get enough of the casino, or the 24/7 shoppers that make it impossible to check out anything in the shops. i've been on cruises where the bars are full by 7 and stay full until the wee hours, i've been on cruises where everything is shut down tight by 10. i've seen the pool area packed or almost empty on a sunny sea day.

 

for me, i just go with the flow. i vacation when i can and the people i travel with can. if its a holiday week, so be it. i refuse to let the maybes control my world.

 

 

EXACTLY! I couldn't have said it better myself. What I DO let control my choice of when to cruise is THE WEATHER.:cool: You won't see me during hot sultry summer on a cruise ship (also hurricane season), nor will you see me in the dead of winter on a ship, even if it's a little warmer 'down there' than at home, it's still not warm enough for me.:rolleyes:

 

So it's what your top priority might be that makes you select a particular month of the year. Go with that. You will notice little else (unless it's a short cruise, then I think almost everyone has said there's a difference in ship passengers).

[PegNRay]

Was this cruise back in the 80's or 90's?

that was before ccl clamped down on high school trips.